Auto insurance for teenage drivers

By Hayden KruegerPublished: Sunday, December 27th, 2009

Auto insurance for teenage drivers is always a tricky issue. Teenage drivers are naturally considered to be a high risk category and hence are charged a much higher premium when compared to older drivers.

And the statistics are not very encouraging either. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 16 year olds get into accidents almost 6 times more often than drivers between the age group of 35 to 50. This only goes to prove the point that teenage drivers are more prone to meet with accidents.

So what are the steps that one can take in order to ensure that the teenage drivers auto insurance does not burn a hole in ones pocket?

The most important thing to do is to educate the teenager about safe driving habits. The best way to do that is to teach by example. Only if you start driving safely and responsibly, your teenager will also follow your example. You cannot expect them to learn by just reading the road signs or listening to your rants in the back seat.

Now this is a very complex subject. Teenage mentality is very tough to decipher. Not all of us are psychologists and not all of us have enough patience to deal with all of this. What is important is that we learn to deal with it in due course of time. Teaching your child how to drive is just one of the many things that you are expected to teach them before they fly away into the real world.

It is also important that you bring up the subject of alcoholism and narcotics with your children. This can be started as early as the age of fourteen. Make the child understand that drinking alcohol is not a crime. But at the same time, they should be aware that drinking and driving is a serious crime. Ask them to have designated drivers at parties. If they are not able to arrange for these drivers, do not get mad at them. Instead, offer to drive them to and fro from the party. This way you can keep an eye on them and make sure that they are safe. Remember, you owe this much to your child.

Ask your child to perform better in college or school. Better grades mean that your auto insurance premium will go down. The best way to get good results from the kid is to share the savings with him or her. This way they also get an incentive to perform better.

Try getting your child enrolled in a defensive driving course. If the child is not receptive to this idea, the best way is that you also get enrolled along with the kid. This way it becomes a bonding experience and at the same time it is for a good cause. This course will teach you how to avoid getting into accidents, or situations which could lead to accidents. And also this will convince the insurance company that your child is serious about safe driving.

And lastly, it is important that you penalize your child for unsafe driving. Start by asking them to pay for their traffic tickets. And make them understand how this affects your insurance premium. Only when they feel the pinch will they try to make changes to their driving habits.